|
|
|
|
|
Nusa Dua Bali, Indonesia, Sept 23, 2013 - (ACN Newswire) - The Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR), the annual event organized by the Asian Institute of Management - Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility (AIM-RVR CSR Center) opened today at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.
This year's theme, "CSR and the Challenge of Inclusive Growth: The Role of Social Innovation in Creating Lasting Impact" frames the discussion around developing innovative approaches and creating social equity. The conference gathered over 300 delegates from over 20 countries. The two-day conference seeks to understand the processes involved in developing innovative approaches to address social concerns within a corporate set-up.
AIM President Dr. Steven J. DeKrey shared in his Opening Remarks that the business school is a pioneer in both management education and CSR. "Why do we focus on CSR? In developing worlds such as Asia, we need people who set the right tone and do the right thing. As CSR has evolved and widened in scope, AFCSR, for the past 11 years, has provided a platform to discuss replicable and scalable approaches for corporations to address challenges in these complex times."
"For many countries, the big question is how to ensure that the solutions and responses include the whole population. The challenge is to achieve and sustain inclusive growth. It has been clear for a long time that isolated programs with limited goals and horizons are not enough. Current realities require a long-term vision, scalable solutions, and innovative approaches that could harness a company's resources and capabilities toward harmonizing development and business goals," explained Conference Executive Director Dr. Francisco L. Roman.
Dato Paduka Timothy Ong, Conference Chairman of the AFCSR, stated, "We share a belief that we should do good even as we seek to do well - which are mutually reinforcing."
The plenary sessions featured distinguished speakers from both business and academe, representing Asia, Europe, and the US, offering diverse perspectives on growth and innovation.
Intel Corporation's Director for Corporate Responsibility Michael Jacobson stated that social and business opportunities demand innovation. "Social innovation must have commitment and collaboration. It must also be catalytic, transformational, and scalable."
Jacobson pointed out that CSR evolves from awareness to efficiency to strategy to transformation. He shared Intel's work in education, which has evolved from teacher training and designing of technologies for classrooms to partnering with governments to transforming the education ecosystem of countries, including leadership, policy, curriculum development, information communications technology, sustainable resourcing, research and evaluation, and professional development to generate student success.
Dr. David Grayson, Director of the Doughty Center for Corporate Responsibility in the Cranfield School of Management, emphasized that regular employees must not be overlooked when discussing social innovation.
"People who work in large corporations can be sources of social innovation. They are the 'social intrapreneurs'," he stated. "The challenge for companies is to create an enabling environment for social innovators to prosper. This must be backed by a sustainability culture and leadership from the top."
Sam Lee, Asia Director of the Academy of Business in Society, added, "Social innovation happens at various stages of the value chain," he said, adding that many communities have benefited from supply chain improvements.
AFCSR 2013 is also a tribute to its Founding Conference Executive Director Felipe B. Alfonso, who has established the AIM-RVR CSR Center in 2000 and the AFCSR in 2001.
For more information about the conference, please visit www.asianforumcsr.com.
Contact:
Mika Palileo / Lu-Ann Fuentes
Ogilvy Public Relations Manila
mika.palileo@ogilvy.com / lu-ann.fuentes@ogilvy.com
Topic: Trade Show or Conference
Source: Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR)
Sectors: Daily Finance, CSR
https://www.acnnewswire.com
From the Asia Corporate News Network
Copyright © 2024 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
